Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Teresa Southworth
Liberty University
EDCE 611
CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLANNING 2
What is Crisis?
A crisis is anything that requires immediate attention. In the school setting this may include, but
not be limited to natural disasters, such as tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes that happen during
the immediate school year. It may include violence on the school campus, such as one student
shooting another student, faculty member, or staff member. Accidents or acts of terrorism are
considered a crisis due to the aftereffects that result from the devastation. A crisis is often
considered the result of a death of a student or a staff member and can include the death of a
Model School Crisis Management Plan (2002) besides the afore mentioned examples, school
principals shall have the authority to determine what constitutes a crisis and to convene the Crisis
The Crisis Management Plan is a design that each school sets in place to determine the
appropriate plan of action in case a crisis situation occurs. Virginia DOE recommends that
activities (Crisis Management, 2002). The Virginia DOE suggests the following establishments:
evacuation is necessary.
3. Chain of command in the event a key administrator is not available.
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4. Spokesperson to the media. This person will be the principal or designee and is
responsible for gathering and confirming all pertinent information about the incident
and for informing the school divisions public information officer prior to any media
release.
5. Network of key communicator. It is the responsibility of these key individuals to
the Memoranda of Understanding executed between the school district and area
will be designated to contact the school board office and to contact other community
evaluated at the conclusion of each crisis. Crisis Management Team will evaluate the
knowledge and skills that are needed to perform the duties required to act in a crisis situation.
If applicable, the group usually consist of individuals such as, principals, school counselors,
school psychologist, teachers, and school social workers (Crisis Management, 2002).
School counselors are an instrumental part of the Crisis Team. A school counselor plans,
presented many challenges to schools in the past years with more and more children coming
from homes with diverse needs. Erford (2011) states that 20% of all children and adolescents
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have significant emotional impairment that requires treatment, but only 1/5 of these children and
adolescents actually receive treatment for their illness (p.288). Other critical incidents of suicide,
(AD/HD), and various mental/health disorders are present in todays schools, making it
necessary for Professional School Counselors to play a large role on a schools Crisis
Management Team.
According to Eford (2011) The American School Counselor Association (ASCA)
National Model of 2005 proposes that the academic, career, and personal/social needs of all
children be addressed through comprehensive school counseling programs that focus on systemic
change, advocacy, leadership, and collaboration (p.289). With this responsibility the
Professional School Counselors role is a proactive one, known as Crisis Intervention, helping
students by providing support and direction that the student(s) cannot provide for him or herself
(p.293).
Collaboration assistance in crisis response is how people interact during the problem-
solving process (Erford, 2011) and school counselors are among the team members who interact
with students, faculty, possibly media, parents and other individuals during and after a crisis
response.
A Professional School Counselors role is many when faced with crisis management,
before, during and post-crisis. The Professional School Counselor must remember the ethical and
legal considerations when responding to a crisis. The Professional School Counselor has an
ethical responsibility to all students and to treat all individuals with dignity and respect by
putting each students best interest first (Erford, 2011). The legal responsibility of the
Professional School Counselor is to follow and abide by state laws and school district policies.
Many areas that Professional School Counselors deal with on a daily basis do not have clear
laws, regulations or policies to guide them (Erford, 2011, p. 89). The Professional School
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counselor must be careful to do what is in the best interest of the client when dealing in these
gray areas.
Crisis Plan Critique
The strengths of the Commonwealth High School Crisis Management Plan and the
Jefferson County Public Schools crisis Management Plan are they are strong in the areas of
Crisis Planning and emphasizing the prevention of a crisis whenever possible. Both plans show
the school day after a crisis and how they will deal with students and staff. Such plans should
include how the next school day will be structured, what information will be given to students,
staff, community members, and what changes, if any, will occur as a result of the crisis.
I would agree with all that was discussed in Crisis Management Planning and Evaluation
Plans. There is a strong need for schools to have a Crisis Management Plan in effect in case of a
crisis. It is vital that schools plan, practice and evaluate the plan and its effectiveness on an
annual basis and/or after a crisis situation. Suggestions that I would give for improving the crisis
response for these or any other school system is to plan by including practice drills on a regular
basis just as they do for a fire drill. This will allow staff and students to be prepared in case a
References
http://www.vusd.k12.ca.us/Departments/LSS/studentsupp/Pages/CrisisIntervention.aspx#
plan
www.doe.virginia.gov/support/safety_crisis_management/emergency_crisis_management
/model_plan.pdf
Erford, B. T. (2011). Transforming the School Counseling Profession (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle